Poll: Rubio 44, Crist 30, Meek 22

Quinnipiac poll (MoE +/- 3 percent): In the Florida U.S. Senate race, Republican Marco Rubio is running away with a commanding 44-30 percent likely voter lead over Gov. Charlie Crist, running as an independent, with Democrat U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek third with 22 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. "As the clock ticks down to Election Day, there is no evidence that Marco Rubio's lead is narrowing. Anything is possible since there are still three weeks left in the campaign, but it appears Rubio's opponents will need an earth-shaking development to deny him the U.S. Senate seat," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"Gov. Charlie Crist's best chance for victory all along required that he outpoll Meek among Democrats and get half the independent vote. He is doing neither."

Rubio is getting 85 percent of the Republican vote, 5 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of independents. Crist, elected governor four years ago on the GOP ticket, is getting 13 percent of Republicans, 38 percent of Democrats and 42 percent of independents. Meek gets 1 percent of the GOP vote, 19 percent among independents and 50 percent of Democrats.

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